Khao Kheow Outdoor Zoo

On one of the hottest, muggiest days of January (94 degrees, 90 percent humidity), we climbed into vans at 8:30 in the morning and drove about 100 miles to Khao Kheow Outdoor Zoo, famous for the birth of a Pygmy hippo named Moo Deng. 

The zoo has a lot more than this internet-famous baby hippo. It is home to white rhinos, white lions, penguins, giraffes, monkeys, deer, hundreds (if not thousands) of storks that nest in the trees of the zoo, and of course the usual tigers, snakes, hyenas, and elephants. 

Most of the animals are housed in outdoor areas (except penguins, for obvious reasons), and a trolley takes visitors around to view the wildlife. Here is a video of the famous Moo Deng:

And a few other shots:

It was HOT.

It was fun to get out of the city and walk around this amazing zoo. But another purpose of the trip was to bring our students along and share our love of Jesus. So before setting out to explore the zoo, we gathered for games, singing, and a testimony by Griang (a seminarian we support) who talked about his life. 

He grew up in a Buddhist home with an alcoholic father and brother, and he became an alcoholic himself. After university and working in the electronics industry, he began to search for meaning and became a Buddhist monk—but found after several years that he still felt empty and meaningless. After someone shared the gospel with him, he became a Christian ten years ago. Since then he hasn’t touched alcohol and his life has completely changed. He has found the meaning he’d been looking for.

Our group was a great mix of teachers, staff, students, and friends. 

It was a wonderful way to spend my last Sunday in Thailand. Next Sunday morning I will fly to Seoul, then to Seattle to spend a day with kids and grandkids before flying back home to Minneapolis. To be honest, I miss the cold and snow. I think the penguins at Khao Kheow Zoo do too.